


Seafoam Ending: “Recovery”

by NeverSatisfiedGirl (Kalli_Ravenne)



Series: Blood, Ink, and Saltwater [4]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Anxiety, Broken Heart Syndrome, Depression, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Intimacy, Language, Survivor Guilt, intimate smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-12 04:21:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20157322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalli_Ravenne/pseuds/NeverSatisfiedGirl
Summary: This is not a stand-alone fic; it’s meant as a continuous ending from the conclusion of Seafoam: Crash. Please read the core story first :)





	Seafoam Ending: “Recovery”

I shouldn’t have survived, the doctors said. 

The cardiogenic shock alone could have been fatal, they puzzled. 

Had I been found any later that night, Seth and Finn would have likely found my corpse instead.

In fact, my heart was hanging by a thread by the time the ambulance arrived. God knows how they managed to sustain it on that two minute rush to the hospital. But it had stopped completely during recovery efforts in the ER.

So, by medical definition, I died.

For all of _three minutes. _

**Three. Fucking. Minutes.**

A little later than that, my brain would have declined and I would never have been the same again. 

It was a miracle, they all said.

Funny… I didn’t feel that way at all. 

When I woke up, Seth was there. Finn hadn’t left my side the whole time I was unconscious. Seth sent him home for food, a shower, and sleep.

“You had us all scared for a moment, boss lady,” he said wearily with red-rimmed eyes. “We were trying to find you for a celebratory drink, and a few people said they spotted you walking outside, that you didn’t look well. Finn and I heard a scream and… we found you on the beach…”

Seth wiped away fresh tears. I held his hand in mine. “Finn did CPR and I called for help. We were so scared you wouldn’t make it. And then your heart stopped for a moment…but then you must’ve told Death, ‘_Not today_.’ And we’re so fucking glad you did.”

I felt so bad seeing him like this, and knowing Finn had been the same. All the cards and gifts only made me feel lower.

I didn’t deserve to survive.

*

Finn was the one to bring me home a week later, when the swelling had finally subsided enough that they were comfortable releasing me. They left me with strict instructions: take time off, preferably for a vacation. Avoid any and all known stressors. And I was to start on an antidepressant immediately. 

Fair enough. I was too tired and relieved to argue.

“I made sure your place was taken care of until you were discharged,” he said as we entered the apartment. “Food was replaced and restocked so everything is fresh. And I hope it’s a little more relaxing.”

There were wax warmers softly glowing in the living room and bedroom when I walked through, a soothing ocean fragrance in the air. I looked around, taking it in. 

I was still here. Finn was here at my side. I felt a heaviness in my bones, the guilt overwhelming…

“Hey, sweetheart,” Finn said, pulling my out of my head. “How about a shower to help you relax? I’ll order something to eat from our favorite place. And we can sit and watch movies for a while, if you want.”

I nodded. Normal actually sounded good for a change.

Everything felt mechanical. Removing my clothes, standing under the heated spray of the shower, and washing away the hospital and the heaviness. My hair certainly felt better for it, returning to my bouncy coils. My mind was empty, and my heart barely ached. 

It did help though. I began to feel something like myself again.

When I came out, Finn had been waiting with sushi, sesame chicken, and miso soup. I couldn’t help but smile.

We bundled up and turned on a movie, eating our meal. It felt good, soothing, somewhat normal. He made sure I took my meds. I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to mind.

*

Three days passed, and I felt distant from everything and everyone. Her words still rang in my head when I was awake. It had come to the point that I looked forward to sleep, spending more time doing that than being awake.

The night before I was wrapped in a warm, dreamless slumber for hours. I almost cried upon waking because I never wanted to leave. 

But I couldn’t go on like this. Something had to change. And it had to be me.

Picking up my iPad, I went online and looked up last-minute flights. Once I booked my destination, I sent a message to my crew that I’d be going away for a while to clear my head. They understood and were supportive, encouraging me to take the time I needed to feel better. I left them with specific instructions, and I trusted they would follow through.

Seth came by to get the keys for the studio, since I was leaving him in charge until my return.

Maybe I was exhausted of holding on to it, but he was the first I’d confessed to about what had happened to trigger my episode. 

Naturally, he was livid.

“I knew there was something off about her,” he said. “She didn’t even look upset when the news came out about what happened to you.”

“I’m mad at myself for not seeing it sooner. I felt bad enough, but this just hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought I was going to…” I couldn’t finish the thought. But he knew. 

“I get why you didn’t tell him that night. I don’t blame you at all. He’s not a fool. I know he isn’t and so do you. And I suspect he’s finally seeing who she really is. If you want, I can tell him everything you told me,” Seth offered. “I’ll take the heat that comes while you take time away to recover.”

I didn’t have it in me to argue. I simply nodded.

“Alright. Pack a bag, boss lady. I’ll get you to the airport.”

He really was an amazing friend. If not for the fact that he was crushing on a friend of his - a gorgeous, fiery Irish woman named Becky - I think I would have considered asking him out.

One more look around my place before I left, and I let out a resolute sigh. I felt like a coward. But I also knew punching her in the face next time I saw her wouldn’t bode well in my favor either. This was the safest route without damaging my body further, or affecting my career.

I didn’t even know how long I’d be away. I just knew my one-way ticket was enough to get me the distance I desperately needed.

*

“Welcome back, boss lady!” Seth pulled me into a huge embrace when he came in to find me at the counter.

“I missed you guys so much. Thanks for taking care of the place for me.”

“You know it’s not a problem,” he assured me. “Feeling better?”

“After four months in Santorini, I feel like a different person.”

“You look like a different person,” he remarked with a smile. “Hair’s longer, you’re practically glowing, and you look far less stressed out than you were. We were worried you’d never come back.”

“It was so beautiful, I almost wanted to stay forever,” I admitted, joking, “but there was no way in Hell I was gonna miss our yearly Friendsgiving dinner!”

He laughed. “Damn straight. You’re not leaving me alone with the rest of those heathens.”

“You _are_ one of those heathens, Seth. We’re all heathens in this place, and I for one am pretty fucking proud of that,” I said matter-of-factly.

Seth shook his head and walked off, cackling. His cackle was actually something I missed. Who knew?

Once settled in at his station, Seth updated me on the state of things, though there wasn’t much and business went on as usual. He mentioned that Finn had, in fact, stopped by a few times.

“I told him everything you told me, and…he wasn’t happy. Apparently one of her friends corroborated everything. The breakup was not a pretty one.”

I winced. “Shit…is he okay?”

“He’s trying. But you need to talk to him. He thinks he did something wrong to push you away. I told him you took off to clear your head and you’d be back soon. But I’ve hung out with him, helped him through. Seems he had a lot more on his mind than I expected.”

Puzzled, I asked, “What happened to him?”

Seth shrugged. “Not my story to tell, boss lady. But reach out to him, okay? He misses you.”

Taking a breath, I agreed. “I will.”

He…missed me? Not even sure why I’m asking that. Still…

Getting back to work felt good. My tattoos were infused with a new life, and it showed in my interactions as well. I felt a little lighter and refreshed. 

Of course I planned to reach out to Finn after work and, not gonna lie, I was nervous. I didn’t blame him if he hated me for taking off so suddenly. 

In fact, I’d be shocked if he didn’t.

*

I declined going out for drinks with my staff to celebrate, saying I’d be taking everyone out to dinner tomorrow night anyway as a token of my appreciation. So I stayed behind to lock up. 

“Good night, boss lady,” Seth called out as he left. “Don’t work yourself too hard.”

I grinned. “I won’t. Just finishing cleanup and I’m out.”

“Cool, cool.” After a short while, I heard the door close, and I disposed of my trash. A moment later, I heard the bell ring at the front door again.

“Seth, did you forget something again?” I teased as I came out of my room. “I swear, one day you’re gonna lose your-”

I froze in my tracks when I realized it wasn’t Seth. Instead there were a pair of sad blue eyes, looking as though they finally found something they lost. 

We stared at one another for a moment. I felt another twinge in my chest, but this was of guilt for having left him without explanation. An apology rose to my lips. 

But Finn beat them to the punch. 

In a couple strides, he closed the distance and wrapped me in a tight embrace. It happened so fast that I froze, hesitating to wrap my arms around him. And then I heard his sniffles, felt my shirt getting hot and wet with his tears. 

My heart shattered. 

I held him close and tried not to cry, wanting to hold it together for him. But…

“…I’m sorry,” he managed, voice cracking. “I’m sorry.” 

That was it. That was my undoing. I never meant for this. Not to see him broken…

Tears streamed down my face, and my arms tightened around him. We stood there and wept for a while, not another word uttered.

Finally I lifted his face back up to mine. My thumbs wiped away the wetness from his cheeks. Managing just above a whisper, I offered, “Hey…let’s pick up some food at our favorite spot, my treat. Then we’ll go to my place and, I promise you, I’ll tell you everything. Okay?” 

He nodded, looking at me with such childlike openness that I almost cried again. 

*

Dinner was largely quiet, but not unpleasant. Finn looked at me as though he couldn’t believe I was here. 

I’d missed him, I wouldn’t deny that. And when we finished and sat together on the couch, I told him as much. Well, technically, he told me first.

“When I first realized you’d taken off without a word, I was pretty pissed,” he admitted. “I wanted to be angry with you. Especially when… Ava and I split up.”

“When did this happen?”

”Three months ago, not long after you left. It was bad. At the time, she had been called for a position that would have her stationed on the other side of the world on a semi-permanent basis. She wanted me to come with her. I couldn’t imagine leaving my wrestling school behind, or the family I made here. And if we were talking about marriage, it doesn’t work well long-distance. But that wasn’t what did it.

“What really got to me was…one of her friends coming to my office and telling me everything she said about you at the fundraiser. I couldn’t believe she’d be so horrible. But the worst part was Seth confirming it. Because you were in the bathroom and had to hear all of that.” 

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. “I needed my best friend. I needed to know what I could do to help her, and she disappeared without telling me why. But when Seth told me that, it made sense. I get it now. I may not like that you cut off contact with everyone, but I don’t blame you either. It must have been hard.”

I gave a quiet huff. “Yeah. Fuck, I’m so sorry.”

Finn shook his head, a weak smile on his face. “Why? It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have been there for you. You needed me here, and I wasn’t. I made you worry even more. Didn’t even check in…” I felt like hell.

“It’s okay. Yeah, I wish you’d told me. I could have helped, you know? But…”

I finished the thought. “But I didn’t want to trouble you with my shit when you were having the time of your life, and planning a future with your girlfriend.” 

He nodded slowly, processing that. “Still…you’re important to me. I don’t think you understood. Me being in a relationship didn’t change that. I was always gonna be there when you needed me. I still am.”

I smiled wistfully, still feeling pretty guilty. “And I’ll always be there for you.” 

Finn surprised me then, resting his head on my chest as he wrapped his arms around me. He was so vulnerable. “Just…don’t scare me like that again, okay?”

A tear quickly fell from my eye, and I lightly stroked his shaggy hair. “I promise.”

We sat together like that for a while, and I could feel old wounds slowly healing. I held my best friend close, someone I still loved deeply but accepted my place in his life.

Then, “I spoke to Esmee when I was looking for you.”

My stomach swooped hearing that. Did she…?

“She didn’t know where you were, but she had an idea why. She also told me a story. About a young woman with a unique gift. A talented artist whose hand and heart could bring art to life and whose tattoos could empower those who needed it most.”

Oh no…she had no right…

“Esmee also told me how she exploited you, and how she still regrets it. She was afraid of losing you, even though you were perfectly capable on your own by then. And she admitted that she was the reason you had such restrictive rules.”

He looked up at me. “She added that, if I doubted her story, that I should ask about the tattoo on your back.”

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I was pissed that she didn’t even have the decency to let me tell him myself. Just the same, he knew. And I had to follow through.

I gently pushed him upright and, hesitantly, turned away from him as I lifted the back of my shirt. My stomach quivered wildly, worried about his reaction. I heard a soft gasp, and I knew what Finn was seeing. I trembled, feeling a simmering state of panic. 

“The tidal wave…it’s… rolling and crashing,” he breathed. “And it’s moving faster…”

I thought I would start hyperventilating, that I would curl up and cry. Instead his hand touched my shoulder. “Breathe, sweetheart. Steady breaths. I can feel you panicking, and you don’t need to. Just breathe.”

Every breath was shaky at first, but they began to slow down and even out after a while. 

“Amazing,” he whispered. “That’s amazing. It looks peaceful now. It responds to how you feel. That…explains a lot.”

“…How so?”

His fingers lightly touched the skin around my tattoo, almost absently, and it was strangely comforting. “After you gave us our tattoos, Ava said she felt lighter, happier. I felt the same way except…there were these hints of…sadness, I think. Like you didn’t intend to let that show, but it came out anyway. Why were you sad?”

I closed my eyes, grateful that he couldn’t see my face. Since we were both being honest…no time like the present.

“I felt like I’d already lost you,” I admitted. “You had been busier lately and spending more time with Ava, and I saw you less and less. I mean, I don’t begrudge you, not at all. It happens. But I think it cut deeper for me because…”

I bit my lip, unable to finish.

I felt my shirt being pulled down and Finn’s arms around my waist, his forehead on the back of my neck. He didn’t press for answers; he just held me. 

“Did…did breaking your rules for me contribute to what happened to you?” 

And there it was. As much as I feared it, I knew the question would eventually come. I also knew he deserved nothing less than the truth.

“…Yes.”

A sigh passed his lips. “Will you tell me about it?”

I placed a hand on his, an anchor to keep me steady. “The relationship tattoo rule is true. There’s others who hold to the same thing. But the friends and family rule…that goes back to when I was working for Esmee. She had been working me pretty hard, and apparently my dad wanted to surprise me by coming to see me work. In reality, she set him up for a tattoo with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea, since I was exhausted and our relationship was rocky. But they didn’t give me a choice. They guilted me into it.

“So I did. He was a devout Catholic and was particularly drawn to Peter. So he wanted an upside-down cross. Now, that may not sound like much…Peter was crucified upside down because he felt unworthy to die as Jesus did. But there’s certain tattoos are considered bad juju, and that’s one of them. Add how I was feeling that day…”

“It was a perfect storm waiting to happen,” he replied. 

I nodded. “I went to work, and I knew he was trying to gaslight me. I tried not to give in to that, but I was already in a bad place. I didn’t wish him harm. I just wanted him to leave me alone. He didn’t believe in me then, and he treated me like trash for disobeying him ever since. I just wanted him to go away, to never see him again. Didn’t even care if he disowned me. My feelings were poured into that tattoo. I finished him up, left him a care kit, and stormed right the fuck outta there. That was the day I ended up in the hospital. A couple days later, I met you.”

I leaned back against him, head tilted back on his shoulder. “I hated that he tried to force us into his faith. That’s why I was drawn to the Orisha; there were parallels, but it was so much more fascinating. It spoke to me. But…I digress.”

He squeezed me gently. “I’m sorry you went through that bullshit. They shouldn’t have done that to you. What happened afterwards?”

“Well…I got the news that he’d been arrested on charges of sexual abuse and pedophilia at the cathedral he attended. So I got my wish, apparently. Just not like I expected.” 

I sighed. “I felt like a monster.”

“You weren’t. And you’re not. As far as I can see, you’re a gifted, wonderful woman who’s been through a lot, and you made it work. You help others, and you give so much of yourself when you don’t have to. You’re strong and passionate and amazing. I always knew that. In fact…it’s why I loved you first.”

…Did I hear that right?

“I never told you that. I didn’t want to feel like you owed me for being your friend. I didn’t want to obligate you or make you uncomfortable. But I also wasn’t sure if you felt the same way, and I was afraid to ask, for fear of making things awkward. But then life happened, and Ava came into my life. You know what’s fucked up about it though?”

“What?” I asked hesitantly.

“It didn’t change how I felt about you,” he confessed. “I thought it would. I loved her too, don’t get me wrong.”

I understood. “It is possible to love more than one person.”

“But even without her being two-faced as hell, when it meant giving up my work and life here… I knew I never could. Because of all the things I’d leave behind, I knew I’d miss you the most.”

I felt more tears spring up and roll down my cheeks. I didn’t bother stopping them. “I, um, I broke my rules for you because… I felt selfish wanting you all to myself. You’re my best friend, and I wanted to see you happy. To have the chance I never did. To have a love without end that wasn’t painful, with someone whose life wasn’t a train wreck, and who made you a better person when you were around them. You deserve to have something beautiful to wake you up in the morning, and to keep you warm at night.”

“But…you’re not a train wreck, sweetheart.” 

Soft lips pressed against my neck, and I swear I stopped breathing. 

“I’ve been happier than I’ve ever been since the day I met you. All of our friends can tell you that, and that I’m a different person because of you. The only thing that has been painful about loving you…was the thought of losing you, and never telling you what you meant to me before. I should have done this a long time ago.”

I couldn’t move. Something new began to flare in my chest. Only… this felt different. It didn’t hurt. 

This felt warm. And safe. And…and…

I readjusted until I could see him clearly. The moment our eyes met, my heart felt as though it had stopped beating. 

_Warm…_

_Safe…_

My lips touched his first. Slowly, cautiously. When I felt his lips soften and his hands invited me closer, it took everything not to melt under his touch. The way we moved was careful, deliberate, fragile. Like we were both dreaming and afraid to wake up.

Clothing fell away piece by piece, giving way to skin. Our kisses became as necessary as breathing, our need to explore became an urgency. The rest of the world fell away as we fell into bed. 

His lips traveled through the valley between my breasts, along the creeping vines of ivy inked there, I could feel the leaves fluttering as though a breeze passed through them, and it elicited a soft smile. His hands cradled and massaged my breasts, tongue and teeth teasing each nipple to full peak. 

The lower he traveled, the higher my anticipation grew. He looked to me, seeking permission. With a small nod, he opened me up and - ever so gently - took me apart. 

It wasn’t rushed or aggressive. Just the same, the way he kissed me there brought me to tears all over again. His mouth wrote intimate confessions and long-held secrets against my core. I trembled and burned beneath him. 

My body was the ocean at the mercy of his moon. I rolled and crashed and cried out as he pushed and pulled and drew out every release his tongue and fingers could manage. 

I found my breath when his lips found mine again, and I could taste myself lingering there. My head spun as he eased inside me. His moans, his gaze as he held mine, his slow strokes…it was nothing I’d ever experienced before. 

“Don’t close your eyes,” he whispered in shivering breaths. “Don’t hide those beautiful eyes from me. Not ever again.”

I whimpered as he moved, keeping my eyes open to his. We shared breath, and skin, and heat, and need, crashing and whirling out of control as we came together, heady and breathless.

Our tears blended as we kissed, coming down from the high.

_Warm._

_Safe._

_Ours._

Finally…_ours_.

*

Finn nuzzled into my neck, breathing steadily with me as we lay together, legs entwined. I stroked his hair and took in the peace of the moment. 

It felt…so natural, so right. As if…

“We should have done this long ago,” I whispered, a chuckle on my lips. “We’re a couple of dumbasses, aren’t we?”

His soft laugh vibrated against my skin. “I would agree with that. But we’re here now, so…”

“Yeah. Just wish I had been braver, you know? That I had told you the moment I’d noticed it was happening-”

His finger was on my lips before I could complete the thought, and he lifted his head to look at me. “I’m guilty of it, too. But it doesn’t matter now. I’m here…if you want me. For as long as you’ll have me.” 

I cupped his cheek as he kissed my palm, smiling gently. “Well…I’m ready to stop being a dumbass if you are.”

We shared a laugh, almost blowing the sincere moment we created. 

The kiss we shared more than made up for it.


End file.
